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jmho !!

She who dies with the most leather WINS!!

And I'm into oiling all my leather. Boots too. I use Flexalan or Hydrophane. I was told oiling once a year is recommended with just wiping off or Murphys Oil Soap cleaning when needed. I asked at 2 different local leather working shops who make saddles/tack/boots etc. They recommend using thinner oils as they soak in and don't leave residue on the outside. Warming them before you apply is good especially for the first time. Open pores on the leathers skin and melts the wax applied to new tack for protection. So they said oils like mink/mineral are thicker. Good for work boots maybe. Finer (smaller pored skin leather) leather needs thinner oils. Oil helps soften/waterproof/protect leather. Like your own skin; wax & soaps can be sticky or drying.

I always oil new boots. REALLY helps them soften/mold and settle onto your leg. Oiling boots/tack until it stops soaking in then let sit and then wipe off excess. All you need has soaked in. Oiling also prevents the dye from getting on your pants/saddlepad. Boot polish is good for applying AFTER IF you want it. Use it definitely to "re-dye" the areas that get rubbed out. I only use polish on the toes.

These tips are from those leather workers. Not mine! I find it really works!

I think this will have to be a permanent thread for the posting of good deals on brown field boots. I just got myself a second pair, lovely dark brown Marlboroughs. I still have the Dehners with the crumbling cuff lining, I'm going to try to bring them in to Journeyman's next weekend & see if they can do anything with them. If not, they'll be very fancy schooling boots

I like the Lexol leather conditioner, and on my everyday boots I have used Tanner's oil on the foot to make them a bit more water repellent. I can't get them super-shiny, but I actually prefer the quieter "glow" of a well worn and well buffed boot. After having polish come off on a saddle pad once, I no longer put any polish on the inside of my boots, only the foot, outside & front.

My great grandfather used to only wash & polish the front of the car. He figured it only mattered when people were coming toward him & could see it was him driving. I guess I'm that way with boots

Thank you for the bump on this thread. I would die to have some brown field boots and some brown gloves. I just think it is so classic and polished. Brown boots, tan breeches a lovely jacket with some brown in it, gloves and hunt cap in brown. -sigh-

The Facebook Sidesaddle group just scored me a pair of brrrrrrrown ones for waaaayy under $100 including shipping from Crossroads tackshop in Lebanon PA. Measurements and photos suggest they may be a tich roomy for my chubby calves but I'm thinking that will be a nice change.

People are crazy and times are strange.
I used to care but, things have changed.

Mine (referenced earlier in this thread) are sitting around doing nothing since I retired my horse if anyone has a bigger foot. I ordered a 9.5, but they're very roomy (I'd venture to say a 10 would vet in them). And, I bought a lovely Charles Owen helmet to go with them....sigh!

For those of you with the brown HKMs, did you order a taller size anticipating a drop or did you order a size that matched your actual leg height? Did they drop very much? How much did the calf stretch out? (I'm currently 1cm too fat for standard size, but still losing weight) The dogwood person said they get a lot of returns for them running short and I don't want to get stuck with too-short boots after paying that much for shipping. Thanks!